Another MIL post. Caused expensive plumbing problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Plumber is now here. MIL put down a huge cabbage core in our garbage disposal. Potato peels. Onion skins. It somehow made it through then jammed at entrance to main line. Plumber is now CUTTING out pipe in the basement. Just got the giant wad of food out. Big bill.
DH mentions this to his parents who are now home in NY. FIL's response was to chastise him, "your mother made you a nice dinner. Didn't you like it?"

You sound like a difficult hostess who they have to put up with to visit their grandchildren. My parents and I have been putting stuff like this down our disposals for about 40 years and we've only had a small handful of plumbing calls. If it "somehow made it through" then it means that there was something wrong with your disposal and it was going to go at any time. It could have happened a few days later. The only thing your mother-in-law's food did was made it happen slightly sooner rather than later. How old is your disposal? It sounds like you should consider replacing the disposal.

You do sound unhospitable and ungrateful. I'm sorry you don't like your mother-in-law, but whether you have issues and reasons to dislike her, she also clearly has issues and reasons to dislike you. But you are now tied by family (both your husband and children) and you have to find a way to make peace with each other. Tolerate what you can and find ways to take time for yourself to relax and calm down when you can't.

Not OP, but you aren't supposed to put peels and stuff like that down disposals. They really aren't meant for that. I don't understand why people don't seem to understand that.

I'd be upset, too, if I were OP. What her MIL did is the equivalent of putting a tampon down someone's toilet and causing a problem (i.e. they are both things plumbers recommend against but if people want to do it in their own home, fine; they shouldn't do it in a guest's home).

OP, I would have your husband make it clear to MIL that she's not allowed to cook at your house. The reason he should mention this is because it sounds like she brought the food without asking, and I imagine she'll do that again in the future. But I wouldn't hold a grudge. Just be clear that MIL's inappropriate use of disposal caused an expensive repair, and so MIL has lost cooking privileges at your house.

[Anonymous]

Don't ask for money. Don't let her cook anymore. Have your husband tell her.

[Anonymous]

Disposals are only for crumbs. No one should be disposing of any food items in the sink.

[Anonymous]

Actually it's perfectly fine to put orange peels even eggs down a disposal. I mean I wouldn't put a pound of them at the same time but those blades should be able to handle it. i sometimes put citrus in there to make it smell fresh.

OP, unless you think she did this on purpose what is there to do except pay the bill and move on.

[Anonymous]

They are guests. I am sure they feel terrible already. Just be courteous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.horizonservicesinc.com/reference/tips-articles/plumbing-drain-cleaning-garbage-disposal-dos-donts

We have rental properties and learned the hard way that many people do not know the do's and don'ts of garbage disposals. You are NOT supposed to put potato skins down a grbage disposal (see link above).

The MIL was clearly wrong for what she did, but she most likely didn't know any better. She's no different from anyone though. OP, it's your house. You let her cook. You pay. In a perfect world, they would offer to pay, but you can't expect it and it would be wrong to be angry with her for this. Suck it up. Don't let her cook again.

Actually, come to think of it, she's just given you a real gift. You said you don't like her cooking, now you have a lifetime excuse to say "no" when she comes over and wants to do it again.

Thanks for posting PP. I've been having this discussion re coffee grinds with my husband just the last two weeks. so this list was very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually it's perfectly fine to put orange peels even eggs down a disposal. I mean I wouldn't put a pound of them at the same time but those blades should be able to handle it. i sometimes put citrus in there to make it smell fresh.

OP, unless you think she did this on purpose what is there to do except pay the bill and move on.

Actually, your not supposed to put eggs down the disposal. Just because you were raised that way doesn't make it right. I was raised that way too - almost anything could go down the disposal. But now, they recommend very few things.
http://www.angieslist.com/articles/dont-throw-down-garbage-disposal.htm

[Anonymous]

It doesn't sound like she did it out of spite or with evil intent - she probably just didn't know better. I would let it go. But she would not be cooking in my house again.

[Anonymous]

I didn't know you weren't supposed to put potato skins down disposal. I found out the hard way this past Thanksgiving. My famous to-die-for potato salad cost $1450.

[Anonymous]

I don't shove anything down the disposal on purpose. It's easy to do a quick dump in the trash. I figure enough goes down there unintentionally...

[Anonymous]

Ha! That's nothing. My FIL once flushed a paper towel down the guest room toilet. Flooded the entire bathroom and guest room. Had to have the rug professionally cleaned, in addition to the plumbing bill.

[Anonymous]

Dang, you sound insufferable. I'm sure they feel bad already. Be polite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Plumber is now here. MIL put down a huge cabbage core in our garbage disposal. Potato peels. Onion skins. It somehow made it through then jammed at entrance to main line. Plumber is now CUTTING out pipe in the basement. Just got the giant wad of food out. Big bill.
DH mentions this to his parents who are now home in NY. FIL's response was to chastise him, "your mother made you a nice dinner. Didn't you like it?"

You sound like a difficult hostess who they have to put up with to visit their grandchildren. My parents and I have been putting stuff like this down our disposals for about 40 years and we've only had a small handful of plumbing calls. If it "somehow made it through" then it means that there was something wrong with your disposal and it was going to go at any time. It could have happened a few days later. The only thing your mother-in-law's food did was made it happen slightly sooner rather than later. How old is your disposal? It sounds like you should consider replacing the disposal.

You do sound unhospitable and ungrateful. I'm sorry you don't like your mother-in-law, but whether you have issues and reasons to dislike her, she also clearly has issues and reasons to dislike you. But you are now tied by family (both your husband and children) and you have to find a way to make peace with each other. Tolerate what you can and find ways to take time for yourself to relax and calm down when you can't.

Not OP, but you aren't supposed to put peels and stuff like that down disposals. They really aren't meant for that. I don't understand why people don't seem to understand that.

I'd be upset, too, if I were OP. What her MIL did is the equivalent of putting a tampon down someone's toilet and causing a problem (i.e. they are both things plumbers recommend against but if people want to do it in their own home, fine; they shouldn't do it in a guest's home).

OP, I would have your husband make it clear to MIL that she's not allowed to cook at your house. The reason he should mention this is because it sounds like she brought the food without asking, and I imagine she'll do that again in the future. But I wouldn't hold a grudge. Just be clear that MIL's inappropriate use of disposal caused an expensive repair, and so MIL has lost cooking privileges at your house.

Are you really not supposed to flush a tampon at someone's house? Ewww -- throwing it in the regular trash is kind of gross. I understand not flushing on a boat or a cabin, but shouldn't modern plumbing handle a tampon??

[Anonymous]

Op here. Thanks for the perspective! This is the third time she's clogged the disposal. Previously we'd been able to unclog it ourselves with our own snake. We've explained to her that certain things like onion peels, eggshells, coffee grounds, shouldn't go down the disposal (if you disagree with me, ask your plumber).

This whole thing has me worried that age is affecting her memory/judgement. She is 70 and now that I think about it there's other evidence of odd things she's forgotten.

We're letting it go. I just feel bad because we rent and our landlords are footing the bill.

Just bad luck I guess.

[Anonymous]

The ignorance of plumping on this thread is astounding.

Of COURSE you are not supposed to flush tampons. Wrap it in toilet paper and place it in the trash. Or if you are that sensitive, pack a small trash bag in your purse and put it in there.